There was a time when I could recite you several passages in Latin.
Yes, I was an altar boy. I used to know the Confiteor by heart.
I also studied Latin in both high school and college. I always tell young people who are interested in writing that they would do well to do the same. It is the basis of our English language, with so many of our words having roots in Latin.
A lot of people turned on Latin, mocking it as a 'dead language,' simply because it is not spoken anymore.
I disagree.
None of that, however, explains what all that Latin was doing on our Horoscopes page on Saturday.
Yes, in case you didn't notice, we managed to run the horoscopes in Latin.
I hope we didn't send any readers into astrological shock.
I got several calls and emails from readers asking for an explanation.
Reader Bob Anderson chimed in:
"Well you gave me a good laugh today when I went to the Horoscope on Page 16," Anderson said. "Apparently someone decided itwould be a good idea to write the column in Latin. It has been many years since my high school Latin class so I decided to skip this column for today."
They're certainly entitled to an explanation. I wish I had a good one.
Let's just say this was a failure on both a human and technological levels. Those Latin passage are simply text that is supposed to be replaced with the correct files. Obviously, that did not happen on Saturday. The page also is supposed to be proofed by a human editor. That one clearly went by the boards as well.
I can tell you my horoscope for Saturday, with or without Latin. Don't mess around with people's astrological signs. I never put much stock in it, but for a lot of people, this is one of the first things they turn to in the newspaper.
I'll take the hit for this one. And I pledge - at least I hope - that this won't happen again.
Bless me father, for I have sinned.
Now if only I could remember how that went in Latin.
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